Combined electrical starter and transmission mechanism.



E. V. HARTFORD. COMBINED ELECTRICAL STARTER AND TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 26. I9I3 1,192,421.

Patented July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SIIEET I.

E.- V. HARTFORD.

COMBINED ELECTRICAL STARTER AND TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

ArPLlcATmn man :uw 2s. Isla.

1,192,421. Patented July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EDWARD VASSALLO HARTFORD, OF DEAL, NEW JERSEY.

COMBINED ELECTRICAL STARTER AND TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J lily 25, 1916.

Application filed July 26, 1913. Serial No. 781,325.

To all fui/0m t may concern:

le it known that I, EDWARD VAssALLo Ilau'rroin), al citizen of the United States, residing at Deal, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Electrical Starter and ',lransmission Mechanism for Self-Propelled Vehicles, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying sheets of drawings, is a full, clear, and concise description thereof.

hly invention comprehends certain irnprovements in combination electrical starter and transmission mechanism particularly adapted for automobiles. Heretofore, it has been customary to operably associate a small high-speed low-voltage starter motor with the crank shaft of the internal combustion engine of an automobile through somewhat extensive mechanical parts and gearing. In so doing, considerable energy or power is needlessly consumed and it is one of the objects of my invention to conserve this power y by making the starter motor and transmission mechanism a unitary structure so that the power of the motor is directly applied to the transmission, thus cheapening and simplifying the needed construction.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one adaptation or embodiment of my invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a combined starter motor and transmission mechanism. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing the manner in which the starter motor is geared to the transmission mechanism. J ust suilicent of the transmission mechanism is illustrated to show vthe application of the starter motor thereto and just so much of this transmission need be described as is necessary to a complete understanding of the invention. Figs. 3 and `4 are fragmentary detail views of the clutch mechanism interposed between the starter motor and the transmission mechanism.

In detail, 1 indicates a suitable casing or housing for the transmission mechanism, which comprises the usual train of selective gearing 2, 3, 4, and 5, clutch mechanisms 6 and 7, and operating levers and rods 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The gears, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are operably associated with a shaft 13, the latter being' connected with the crank shaft of the engine through an interposed clutch, (not shown) of usual construction. Mounted upon the shaft 13 is a gear 14 which meshes with a smaller gear 15, mounted fast upon a counter shaft 16, the latter being journaled in the transmission casing. The gear 14 is operably connected to the shaft 13, through an interposed clutch 18, the details of which are more clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In mesh with the worm wheel 17 is a worm 19 on the armature of the starter motor 20. The starter motor 2O is a low-voltage motor of the high speed type. On the opposite end of the armature of the motor is mounted a fly wheel 21, by means of which kinetic energy is created which augments or supplements the electro-motive force of the motor 20, thus assisting in inaugurating the self-actuation of the vehicle engine.

The clutch mechanism 18 is provided for disengaging the starter motor from the crank shaft of the engine when the engine becomes self-actuated and travels at a speed in excess of the starter motor. This clutch `mechanism may be conveniently described as comprising a pair of rings 21 in which are mounted a pair of ball cups 22 coperating with a ring 23 for forming suitable ball racers. The gear wheel 14 is made fast to the ring 23. A ring 24 is provided with a series of pockets 25 which open toward the inner face of the ring 23. The bottom of these pockets are inclined in a common direction. A roller 26 is mounted in each pocket, which is slightly pressed up toward the incline 27 by means of a small spring 28. Upon rotation of the worm wheel 17 and the gear wheel 14 under actuation of the starter motor, the rollers will couple the parts together and the crank shaft of the engine. will rotate in unison therewith. Upon the speed of the crank shaft exceeding the speed of the gear wheel 14, when the engine becomes self-actuated, the rollers will be forced and dislodged from their coupling position, thus permitting the crank shaft to rotate independently of the gear wheel. The worm wheel 17 and gear wheels 14 and 15 are of such relative sizes as to convert the high speed of the starter motor into a slow movement of the engine crank shaft, it having been found that a slow crank-shaft movement of the engine is as effective in starting an internal combustion engine as a rapid crank-shaft movement. Mounted upon the shaft 13 is a gear wheel 29 with which a chain 30 coperates to supply the power to Al O operate the generator 31, which is also mounted upon the transmission easing 1.

In operation, it will be understood that the starter motor 20 is energized by closing a suitable switch 20, which permits the current from the storage battery 32 to energize the motor through the leads or wires 21- The rotating of the armature of the motor causes the shaft 13 to rotate through the worm wheel 17 on the counter shaft 1G, the gear 1st on the shaft 13, and the gear rEhe shaft 13 being directly connected with the crank shaft of the engine through the usual form of clutch (not shown) causes the latter to rotate at a reduced rate of speed and thus inaugurate the self-actuation of the engine. As soon as the engine becomes self-actuated, where it assumes a speed in excess of the speed of the gear wheel 1l when actuated by the starter motor, the clutch mechanism 18 opera to permit the starter motor to stop or come to rest. As soon as the vehicle engine operates. the generator 31 likewise begins to operate and to generate current, charging the storage battery 3Q, the generator circuit being indicated by the leads or wires Q1 andr. Upon the self-actuation of the vehicle engine, the vehicle is put into motion bv operating the gear shift levers in the usual way.

i 3v combining the starter motor, the transmission .mechanism and generator in unitary cooperative form, l have produced a system which minimizes structural parts, economizes and prevents unnecessary loss of power and affords a material saving in cost of manufacture.

It, of course, will be understood that the transmission niaY be brought into driving connection with the crank shaft of the engine before the starter motor is energized, so that the starter motor may put the vehicle in motion at the same time that it initiates the starting of the engine, should this be desired.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new herein and desire to secure bv Letters Patent is 1. `Means for starting an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, an automobile, a selective vehicle transmission mechanism, a high-speed low voltage starter motor in operable association therewith through gearing mounted within the transmission housing, said gearing including an overrunning clutch operating to free the motor from the transmission mechanism after the latter has received its starting power, and to regain control of the transmission mechanism when the speed of the engine falls below the driving speed of the motor to prevent the stalling of thc former.

Means for starting an internal combustion engine com )rising in combination a drive shaft, a selective vehicle transmission mechanism operabl),Y associated therewith, a gear wheel fixed to said drive shaft, a starter motor and i'eleasable means interposed between the gear wheel and the transmission mechanism, including an overrunvning clutch which operates to relieve the motor of its load after it has performed its engine starter work and to couple the motor with the engine when the speed thereof falls below the driving speed of the motor.

3. rllhe combination of a selective trailsmission mechanism, a small high-speed starter motor in gear connection therewith, and means comprising an overrunning clutch for automaticallyY discrmnccting the transmission mechanism from the starter motor when t ie speed of the former exceeds the speed imparted to it by the starter motor.

ft. Means for starting an internal combustion engine comprising in combination a drive shaft, a transmission mechanism associated therewith, a counter shaft connected with said drive shaft through intermediate gears, a high-speed starter motor releasably connected with the main or drive shaft through an overrunning clutch and a housing for the counter shaft and transmission mechanism, substantiallyv as described.

ln witness whereof l have hereunto set my mand in the presence of two subscribing vitnesses.

EDWARD VASSALLO HARTFORD.

lllitnesses D. J. CLnAnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

